The acceptance of computing devices (such as personal computers) has lead to a proliferation of such devices in virtually all aspects of business and life in general. The sheer volume of computers that are now being deployed brings new challenges to the computer industry in terms of the impact on the environment. One of these challenges is the overall electrical power consumed by the computers from the electrical grid. The effect of a single computer is generally minimal, but the combined effect on the power grid of thousands or millions of computers can be substantial.
In general, while understanding the instantaneous rate of power draw (measured in watts) of a computer at any given time may be helpful, understanding the total energy consumption (i.e., “energy” measured in units of watt-hours) may be more helpful to understanding and controlling the usage of electrical power. Present computer technology is quite limited in its ability to determine and report energy usage of a computer (such as a client computer).